1 Over The 40
20/08/2009
The Cowgirls beat Bristol Panthers 10-0.
The Cricket Friendly Team lost to some Cheltenham Council lot by about 10 or so runs. The opposition won the toss and decided to bat despite the fact that half our side had been delayed by not knowing junction 10 on the M5 has limited access. Due to this decision, or shall we be blame the coin for not letting us win the toss, the game started 20 mins late dooming us to another dark finish. They scored 129. Kalu, who was brought up playing cricket with a soft ball, kept wicket for the first time using a hard ball and excelled letting no byes through.
In the dying light the chase was on. Jeff hit 24 in a mutually appreciative stand with Grant. The extras ensured that we were up with the run rate. We had reversed our batting order however, they had reversed their bowling order too and as the darkness descended the extras dried up. In the end we were all out off the last ball as Justine lapped Neil running three to Neil’s two. It was a great joy to have Toby from Brighton playing with us and he performed bravely in the face of an unsympathetic hang over.
22/08/2009
The Cricket 2nd Team absolutely hammered Weston’s 4th Team by 10 wickets. A late ground change – which saw Jeff go to not only the wrong ground but also the wrong town – meant that we played in Failand on a wicket that looked so suspicious and spiteful that on winning the toss Tinx thankfully put the opposition in to bat. Oobs, our normally glorious leader and looser of the toss, was off watching the Ashes at the Oval and so did not give a toss. Weston who had been hit by the holiday season and U2 playing in Cardiff struggled to get a side together, consequently the side that turned up was half their women’s XI, a few kids and the odd stalwart. In the face of Gary, Garner, Gibbons and Rob this rag-tag fugitive fleet could only manage 33 runs before being all out in 22.4 overs. Extras were equal top scorer with 9. Ev bowled 5.4-3-3-4 and is now the leading wicket taker in our division, Garner bowled 3-1-6-3. In the field Gary executed a ruthless run out from point, Grove took an improbable catch and Gary took 2 regulation catches. On a day that saw the 3rds pouch another 3 catches it is pleasing to note that of the 18 players in the division who have taken 5 or more fielding catches, 5 of them are Cowboys.
In reply Grant and Jeff had their second mutually appreciative innings of the week and brought us home without loss in 8.5 overs, Jeff getting 14, Grant getting 13 and the sundries making up the rest. Still hyped up for the game and unfulfilled the Cowboys made there way back to The Plough and got plastered.
23/08/2009
The Cricket 1st Team beat Failand and Portbury by 4 wickets on the penultimate ball in a game of unequal halves. Duncan reports:
After a week of letting the first win of the season sink in, the Sunday 1stXI took to the pitch at Frenchay to attempt a change in fortune at home against the aging and cantankerous ‘Grandads’ of Failand and Portbury.
A dry wicket may have looked a decent bet to bat on, but F&P had chased down 263 last week, so after changing his mind several times Duncan decided to field on a cloudy but increasingly bright day.
The risk looked ominously doomed as 11 came from the first over, but subsequent tight stuff from Wayne and Roger restricted F&P to just 49 from the first wicketless 12 overs. First change bowler Duncan made an immediate breakthrough courtesy of a fantastic forward diving catch from keeper Angelo. Bernet ably supported from the shed end but F&P had big numbers in mind and although never racing away, (except for the Cuthill effect, see bowling figures) put on a century for the next wicket. The creaking knees of Mr.Ormesher eventually upset the concentration of the no.3 bat enough to coax him into a rash cross-batted swipe at a straight ball which accurately clipped the top of middle stump.
A couple of Mav beamers were enough to see his spell cut sadly short, replaced by Skipper Dunc now aching enough to bowl off spin. Many more runs seemed on the cards with one very good opener still at the crease eyes partly on getting a century to his name. But Steve, Dunc, Wayne and Roger cobbled the final overs together well, for only 51 runs, taking a few wickets including an astonishing catch by Steve O under the pounding hooves of a Maverick shaped stampede which knocked Oobs clean off his feet. A call would have been handy. However, this did bring our cider moment voting an instant nomination. Amid the comedy classics, the fielding and team ethic had remained probably the best of the year so far.
- Wayne Kelly 8 1 41 2
- Roger Ball 7 0 29 0
- Duncan Brewood 8 0 32 2
- Bernet Cochrane 8 0 35 0
- Alan Cuthill 1 0 21 0
- Steve Ormesher 7 0 42 2
- Colin Parnell 2 0 15 0
- So onto the chase.
Justin and Angelo opened with steadiness until Angelo(6) was given out stumped, twice in the same ball, despite eventual protestations involving his toe being behind the line. Enter the Maverick, who edged and drove his way to a decent 33 before being run out. Bernet looked a little out of sorts but good progress was made until another running mix up occurred and Justin(71) was stranded mid-wicket, showing a modicum of displeasure by hurling his bat a few yards. He was very cross indeed.
Dave Flinton, spasming back in some discomfort, codeine his only solace, batted like a man possessed smashing a magnificent six over ‘cow’ which lifted the spirit of the whole team. Could we do this? Oh yes indeed, maybe we could. Bernet now literally had his gloves off and also pinged the ball out of the ground for a maximum. Tired from all the willow-swinging, he was then run out on 41 with the score on 191, the fourth wicket bringing a very tense Captain Brewood to the races. Soon it was bye-bye skippy for a desperate 2 runs, but meanwhile the exhausted Dave F.(23) had creamed another 6 before making way for our resident Scotsman. Could the ‘Wee Man keep his heed’ now with Roger, gnashing rather angrily, for company? Could he reverse the ‘Cuthill Bowling Effect’
Emphatically, he did. Alan(13n.o.) and Roger(8n.o.) drove and scuttled about for the final few overs in the gathering gloom to give the Cowboys a stirring and very dramatic 4 wicket victory with 1 ball to spare.
Hoo-Fuckin’-Rah!!!
- Justin Avery Run Out 71
- Angelo Bordi + Stumped Phillip Dungey 6
- Colin Parnell Run Out 33
- Bernet Cochrane Run Out 41
- David Flinton Caught (Jeff Astle) jamie fear 23
- Duncan Brewood * Stumped Jeff Astle 2
- Alan Cuthill Not Out 13
- Roger Ball Not Out 8
- Steve Ormesher Did Not Bat
- Jonathon leach Did Not Bat
- Wayne Kelly Did Not Bat
Byes(9); Leg Byes(6); Wides(13); No Balls(1); Extras 29
Total 226
Wickets 6
Overs 39.5
I, Sparticus, hereby say a massive THANKYOU to all 10 of my revolting slaves for a thrilling and I think brilliant team performance.
A very special round of applause goes out to Jonsey whose comparitive youth and footballing skills on the boundary saved enough runs to make our run-chase possible. He has yet to feature in the batting and bowling line up, but has approached his fielding in these last 2 games with enormous enthusiasm and great cheer. And so with genuine ‘gratitude for his attitude’ hats off to him.
And Skippy D says ‘Here’s the Cowboy Moment’
The final over from Wayne, in which he took a wicket for 5 runs, was the 41st of the opposition innings. Fuck knows how we and F&P managed to do this, but it’s no wonder the scorebook was a mess and didn’t add up. Why on earth they didn’t stop us from bowling it I don’t know. However, having spoken with complete and total chagrin to the Malcolm Buck of the league, I’m sorry to report that on their website, Wayne’s figures are now shown as 7/1/36/1.
But we all know you got it really, so in the spirit of ‘Absolute Cowboyness’ we’ll add it to our records.
Stop Press
Have discovered an extra over in Oobs bowling figures which the shortsighted grandads somehow invented, probably as a result of a quick journey to another Universe, and left in our book. Old people! What are they like eh? Anyway, has now been scrubbed, Wayne has his wicket back on league website, Steve’s creaky knees really did only get strained for 6 instead of 7 overs, our book and the NSCL website now add up properly and above all, WE STILL FUCKIN’ ROCK!
The Cricket 2nd Team lost to top of the league Bristol Bangladeshis by 1 wicket in a very close match. EC batted first and were 144 for 8 off their 40 overs. Aran was guilty of jug avoidance for getting out for 46, this came as a surprise to his dad since Aran is not of a legal age to imbibe intoxicating liquor. BB got the required runs in 33.1 overs but lost 9 wickets along the way. Aran bowled 6-1-12-2, Harry bowled 4-0-15-1 and Neil bowled 7.1-1-49-3. Stratto took two great catches out of the 5 taken by the Cowboys and of the 10 players in their division who have taken 4 or more catches 3 are Cowboys, Dean leads the field with 8.
One Liner Of The Week (and perhaps the century)
A member of the 3rd Team was talking to one of Weston 4ths lady players. To his surprise he found out that the women’s game is played with a lighter ball than that used in the men’s game. “Oh really”, remarked our man, “and is it any good for mood swing bowling?”